French IIIH Mid-Term Exam Study Guide 2015 Mme Weaver, MLK

As all French tests and exams are cumulative, everything you have learned
to-date may appear in the exam. In terms of specific chapters, the Mid-Term
includes vocabulary and key grammatical concepts from Units 1 through 4 of
our course text (if as the time approaches we have also begun Chapter 5, I
will post an addendum to this Study Guide and advise you in class). Be sure
to review vocabulary and grammar in those chapters as well as any handouts
for film extracts and songs studied. Following is a summary of chapter
content followed by a grammar review to assist you. You can access
supporting information in the Reference section at the back of your book.
Chapter 1
Vocabulary: Back-to-school and after-school activities; what you did last
summer: activities, places and things
Grammar:
Regular and irregular verbs: present tense
Passe compose and imparfait (conjugation and when to use which) Verbs
followed by the infinitive
Reflexive verbs: present and past tense
Chapter 2
Vocabulary: Professions and services; telephone and formal letter
vocabulary
Grammar:
Future tense and the future perfect The present participle
Feminine forms of nouns
The verb conduire
Using the conditional to be polite
Chapter 3
Vocabulary: Legends, fairy tales and fables; historical accounts from Africa
Grammar:
The passe simple (literary tense) Relative pronouns with ce
The past perfect = pluperfect tense Sequence of tenses in indirect discourse
Adjective placement and meaning
The past infinitive

Chapter 4
Vocabulary: Reciprocal actions; life events; emotions
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Grammar:
Reciprocal verbs
The past conditional
The subjunctive with necessity, desire, and emotions Verbs manquer and
plaire
Stress pronouns
Verbs and Verb Tenses / Moods
Review the present tense conjugations of regular and irregular verbs,
including stem and spelling changing verbs (R40-42)
Passe compose with avoir and etre + past participle (R46)
Most verbs in French take avoir. There are only 17 that take etre plus all
reflexive / reciprocal verbs. Most of the 17 verbs imply some type of motion
(to come, to go, to return, to climb, etc.).
The literary tense in French: le passe simple (R53)
You will not need to know how to conjugate this for the exam, but you should
be able to recognize it in readings as the past tense, replacing the passe
compose.
Imperfect: stem = present tense nous form + imperfect endings
(R49)
The only irregular verb construction in the imperfect is etre: Jetais, etc.
When to use the imperfect versus the passe compose (R52)
remember the acronym WATCHED Weather, Age, Time, Continuous
Action, Habitual Action, Emotion, and Date:
Generally speaking, the imperfect is used for habitual or ongoing actions in
the past (I used to..., I was (doing something) when...), whereas the passe
compose is used for actions that have been completed or only happened
once. The imperfect is also used for descriptions, so the verbs etre and avoir
are more often found in the imperfect tense than in the passe compose, as
they set the scene. Examples: I was five years old when I went to school; It
was six oclock when I saw the accident. Javais cinq ans quand je suis alle a
lecole; Il etait six heures quand jai vu laccident. Also, those verbs that
cannot be quantified, usually dealing with emotion, such as vouloir, are more
often used in the imperfect.

Future: future stem* + future endings (R50)

*For most verbs, this is the infinitive minus the e, if applicable. Some verbs
have irregular future stems, such as etre = ser-, aller = ir- etc. Be sure you
know the irregular stems as they will also be used in the conditional.
The use of the future tense in French is, for the most part, the same as in
English. However, note the use of the future after quand and other
conjunctions of time (see below). Unlike English, French uses the future tense
in both the quand (when) clause and the main clause when referring to
future events. Example:
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Quand jaurai de largent, je voyagerai. When I have money, I will travel.
(Literally: when I will have money, I will travel).
The future is also used after quand when the main clause is in the
imperative and a future event is implied. Example:
Ecris-moi quand tu seras a Nice. Write to me when you are in Nice.
Other conjunctions of time that use the future construction in both
clauses are: lorsque (when), des que (as soon as) and aussitot que (as soon
as).
When speaking about future events, the sentence construction with si is
exactly the same as in English: the present tense is used after si and the
future is used in the main clause. (See R52) Example:
Si le bus narrive pas, nous prendrons le train. If the bus does not arrive,
we will take the train.
Future perfect / futur anterieur: future of helping verb + past
participle (R50)
Use this tense along with the future to say that one future action will precede
another future action. Example:
Jy travaillerai quand jaurai fini mes etudes. I will work there when I (will)
have finished my studies. (I need to have finished my studies first before I
can work there, so that clause has to be in the future perfect tense).
Pluperfect: imperfect of helping verb + past participle (R49)
As in English, the pluperfect is used to describe what people had done or
what had happened before another past action or event. Example:
Quand nous sommes arrives a la gare, le train etait parti. When we arrived
at the train station, the train had left.

Note: the agreement rules for the past participle are the same as for the
passe compose.
Conditional: future stem + imperfect endings (R51)
The conditional describes what people would do, what would happen if a
certain condition were to be met. In French, the usual construction is: the
imperfect tense after si,(if clause) and the conditional in the result
clause. Example:
Je voyagerais, si javais de largent: I would travel if I had money.
Same sentence, different word order:
Si javais de largent, je voyagerais.
The conditional is never used in the si clause.
Past conditional: conditional of helping verb + past participle (R51)
The past conditional is used to express what would have happened under
certain circumstances. Examples:
Si javais etudie, jaurais reussi a lexamen. If I had studied, I would have
passed the exam.
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Si vous etiez alles a la boum, vous vous seriez amuses. If you had gone to
the party, you would have had fun.*
*Hypothetical sentences that refer to the past are usually formed using this
pattern: si-clause = pluperfect, main or result clause = past conditional.
Note the English equivalents of the past conditional of vouloir, pouvoir and
devoir:
Jaurais voulu voir ce film. I would have liked to have seen that movie OR I
wish I had seen that movie.
Tu aurais pu me dire. You could have told me. Vous auriez du attendre. You
should have waited.
Reflexive verbs (all tenses see examples below) (R47-48)
Present tense example:
Je me leve a 6 heures. I get up at six oclock.
Imperative example:
Asseyez-vous! Sit down! (Note: word order changes, in that the reflexive
pronoun comes after the verb)
But negative: Ne vous asseyez pas! Do not sit down! (Note: word order
follows normal of reflexive pronoun before the verb).

Infinitive construction example:

Je vais me coucher tot. I am going to bed early.
In the passe compose (example):
Je me suis reveille(e) a 5 heures. I woke up at five oclock.
Note the agreement of the past participle with the subject in the p.c. tense.
But there is no agreement if the verb is followed by a direct object. Example:
Nous nous sommes brosse les dents. We brushed our teeth. (No s on the
past participle, because les dents is a direct object immediately following the
verb).
Note also the use of definite articles in French with body parts. Example: Je
me brosse les cheveux: I brush my hair.
Note the use of reflexive verbs in the reciprocal sense. Example: Ils
sentendent bien. They get along well.
Nous nous ecrivons. We write to each other.
The subjunctive mood (R54-55)
You need to know how to construct and use the present tense only:
Construction of present tense:
-ils form of the present, minus the ent, then add the subjunctive endings:
-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent
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Note: verbs like venir, which have different stems in the ils and nous forms of
the present tense also have two stems in the subjunctive, although they all
have regular subjunctive endings (other verbs having two stems in the
subjunctive: acheter, esperer, appeler, payer, boire, voir, prendre):
...que je vienne
...que nous venions, que vous veniez.
The main irregular verbs are: etre, avoir, aller, faire. There are others,
however, like savoir, vouloir, devoir, pouvoir. Use the reference section at the
back of your text to make sure you know these irregular subjunctive forms.
The subjunctive mood is generally used to express some type of doubt,
obligation or emotion, whereas the indicative states a fact. In other words,
the subjunctive mood is subjective (what may or might be), whereas the
indicative mood is objective (what is).

Both the subjunctive and the indicative may occur in a dependent clause
introduced by que. The choice depends on what the subject or speaker
expresses in the main clause. The subjunctive is used after the following:

il faut que*

vouloir que and other verbs expressing wish, necessity and

obligation

an emotion or feeling

a doubt or possibility

the verbs croire (to believe) and craindre (to fear)

certain impersonal expressions

certain conjunctions expressing purpose, condition or restriction

and time limitation (but note that the following conjunctions take
the indicative: parce que, pendant que, depuis que and lorsque) If
there is no change of subject in the dependent clause, do not use the
subjunctive. Examples:
Je suis content daller en France. I am happy to be going to France
(indicative because no change of subject).
But: Je suis content que tu ailles en France. I am happy that you are
going to France (subjunctive, because change of subject in dependent
clause).
Alice a peur detre malade. Alice fears she may be sick / OR Alice is
scared to be sick.
But : Il a peur quAlice soit malade. He fears that Alice may be sick.
*Remember that il faut (without the que) is followed by the infinitive
and implies a general obligation, that one should. Example: Il faut
manger pour vivre. One has to eat to live. Il faut que is used when
there is a specific obligation imposed on someone. Example: Il faut
que tu manges! You must eat! (implying that maybe you have not been
able to or did not want to eat).

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Preposition + infinitive

In French, the infinitive is used after prepositions such as: pour (in order to),
avant de (before) and sans (without) when the subject of the main clause
and the dependent clause are the same (otherwise, use que and the
subjunctive). Example:
Victor est venu:
pour parler des ses projets
avant daller en France sans avoir rendez-vous
Past Infinitive (R56)
Victor came over:
to talk about his plans
before going to France without an appointment
The past infinitive is used instead of the present infinitive to describe an
action that takes place before the action of the main verb. It is always used
after apres.
Construction: avoir or etre plus the past participle. Example:
Quest-ce que tu vas faire apres avoir fini tes etudes? What are you going to
do after having finished (after finishing) your studies?
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun represents the same person as
the subject of the sentence. Example:
Je me souviens de metre promene dans ce parc. I remember having walked
in this park.
The present participle (R57)
Construction: stem = nous form of present tense; ending = ant. Examples:
Parlant francais et anglais, je voudrais travailler pour une firme
internationale. Speaking French and English, I would like to work for an
international company.
This present participle with en is used to express simultaneous action (while,
on, upon doing something) and cause and effect (by doing something).
Examples: Jai vu mes copains en allant au stade. I saw my friends while
going to the stadium.
Il gagne de largent en lavant des voitures. He earns money by washing
cars. Note: there are three irregular present participles: etre = etant; avoir
= ayant;

savoir = sachant.
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun represents the same person as
the subject. Example:
En me promenant, jai rencontre mon prof dhistoire. While walking, I met
my history teacher.
Pronouns (R37-38)
Object pronouns:
me, te, nous, vous (both direct and indirect object pronouns for me, you,
us, you) le, la, l, les (direct object pronouns for him, her, it, them)
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lui, leur (indirect object pronouns for to him /to her, to them)
Word order for one object pronoun alone: always before the verb except in
the affirmative command. Examples:
Je le connais. I know him
Ecoute-la! Listen to it (e.g., the radio. Pronoun comes after the verb. This is
the only exception to the normal word order).
Me and te become moi and toi in the affirmative command. Example:
Montre-moi le livre. Show me the book.
When you have both a direct and an indirect object pronoun in a
sentence, the word order is: direct before indirect (d before i, as in the
alphabet, but the personal object pronouns (me, te, nous, vous) always
come first, no matter whether they are used as a direct or indirect object
pronoun. Examples:
Il le lui donne. He gives it to him / her. But: Il me le donne. He gives it to me.
Note: Object pronouns in the passe compose. The past participle of an avoir
verb agrees in number and gender with a preceding direct object
pronoun (see also que under relative pronouns below). Example:
Marc a vu Nicole et Sylvie? Did Marc see Nicole and Sylvie?
Oui, ils les a vues. Yes, he saw them (feminine and plural agreement).
Y / En (R37-38)
Y usually replaces places. Example:
Tu vas au concert? Are you going to the concert? Oui, jy vais. Yes, I am going
(there).

Tu es passe chez le medecin? Did you go to the doctors (office)? Non, je ny

suis pas passe. No, I did not go (there).
Y can also replace a + noun, which refers to a thing.
Tu vas assister au match de foot? Are you going to the football game? Oui, je
vais y assister. Yes, I am going to (attend).
Note: Verbs which take a, like croire a also use y for example: Jy crois = I
believe in it, or I believe it.
En replaces du, de la, de l, des and de + noun. In English, we use the words
some or any. Sometimes we even omit some / any altogether, but in
French we cannot. Example:
Tu as achete du savon? Did you buy any soap?
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Oui, jen ai achete. Yes, I bought some.
En is also used to replace the preposition de + noun, a noun introduced by a
number and de + a noun after an expression of quantity. Examples:
Tu viens du stade? Are you coming from the stadium?
Oui, jen viens? Yes, I am coming from there.
Tu as des freres? Do you have any brothers? Oui, jen ai un. Yes, I have one.
Tu as assez dargent? Do you have enough money? Non, je nen ai pas
assez! No, I dont have enough!
Just like the other pronouns you have studied, y and en come before the verb
except in affirmative commands. In terms of order, they are last in line, so, if
there is more than one object pronoun in a sentence, personal pronouns
come first, followed by direct, then indirect object pronouns, then y and en.
Relative Pronouns (R38-39)
When describing people and things, we often use clauses which refer or
relate to these people or things (the antecedents). Such clauses are called
relative clauses and are introduced by relative pronouns.
Qui can refer to people or things as the subject. Example:
Lami qui est arrive. The friend who arrived.
Note: when qui is the object of a preposition, other than de, (see dont
below) it must be used when referring to people. Example:
La personne avec qui je travaille. The person with whom I work.
But: La machine avec laquelle je travaille. The machine with which I work.

Que is used as a direct object referring to people or things. Examples: La fille

que je connais. The girl whom I know.
Le restaurant que je connais. The restaurant with which I am familiar.
Note: in the passe compose, the past participle agrees with the antecedent
of que. Example:
Jai telephone aux filles que jai vues hier. I phoned the girls I saw
yesterday.
Dont is used as the object of the preposition de. Examples:
La fille dont je te parle. The girl about whom I am talking to you (= the girl
I am talking to you about)
Le livre dont je te parle. The book about which I am talking to you (= the
book I am talking to you about)
The above examples refer to parler de meaning to speak about someone or
something.
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Note also the use of ce qui, ce que and ce dont corresponding to the English
what.
Ce qui functions as the subject of the verb that follows. Examples:
Je voudrais savoir ce qui tinteresse. I would like to know what interests
you. Dis-moi ce qui est arrive. Tell me what happened.
Ce que functions as the direct object of the verb that follows. Example: Je
sais ce que tu fais. I know what you are doing.
Ce dont replaces a phrase with de. Example: Dis-moi ce dont tu as envie.
Tell me what you want.
FIN
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